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Guyana
   
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Hoatzin Opisthocomus hoazin © David Shackelford http://www.rockjumperbirding.com/

Guyana where the Caribbean meets South America

Guyana, a country of exceptional natural beauty, is a splendid combination of the Caribbean and South America, with fascinating touches of a sometimes turbulent past. Perched on the north-east corner of the South American continent, Guyana stretches 450 miles from its long Atlantic coastline into dense equatorial forest and the broad savannah of the Rupununi.

The picturesque capital and primary port is Georgetown, a city of comfortable, modern hotels, fine colonial buildings, and broad, tree-lined boulevards. The striking wooden architecture is reminiscent of Guyana's centuries as a Dutch, and then a British colony. Georgetown offers an evocative introduction to the land of Guyana. Don't miss the imposing St. George's Cathedral, reputed to be the tallest wooden building in the world.

Life in Guyana is dominated by mighty rivers, including the Demerara, the Berbice and the Essequibo, which provide essential highways into the rain forests and jungles of the interior. Mankind has made little impact here, and today Guyana remains one of the world's most exciting destinations for adventuresome travel and exploration.

Setting out for the interior by boat, light aircraft or 4x4, you encounter the extraordinary natural heritage of Guyana spreading out like a tropical carpet. Jaguar still roam the rain forest, and the unearthly cries of troupes of howler monkeys echo through the trees. The Giant River Otter, the Black Caiman, and the Arapaima (the largest freshwater fish in the world) swim in the rivers of the Rupununi. Flashes of scarlet, yellow and blue burst through the forest's intense green as Macaws fly like arrows across a clearing in the canopy. Toucans, and the awesome Harpy Eagle, swoop through the trees, while the beautiful but elusive Guyana Cock-of-the-Rock lingers around the waters of Kaieteur Falls. More than 700 indigenous species of birds adorn Guyana's forests.

The tumbling rivers and dense rainforests of Guyana are filled with extraordinary natural sights. Kaieteur Falls, where the 400-foot wide Potaro River plunges 741 feet downward from the Pakaraima Plateau, is one of the world's great waterfalls. The magnificence of Kaieteur stands beyond any comparison in its majesty and sheer size. You can also visit the striking beauty of the Orinduik Falls, the Marshall Falls, the Kaieteur Gorge and remote Mount Roraima - the inspiration for Conan Doyle's Lost World.

For the adventurer, Guyana is a place of wonder; for the eco-tourist, it is a country where nature has placed its greatest riches. Feel the beauty of the nature whisper across your heart. Discover an experience never to be forgotten. Discover the extraordinary wilderness of Guyana.

 
 

This page is sponsored by...
Manu Expeditions

Manu Expeditions is a professional Peru-based company with 25 years' experience, offering bespoke birding trips to Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia & Guyana. Our very experienced neo-tropical birding guides and naturalists specialize in catering for serious bird watchers and photographers as they know where to find the more sought after and difficult species, but do not ignore other aspects of Natural History. Our tours cover the coast, highlands and rainforests and our leaders provide you with excellence in birding whilst ensuring that arrangements are trouble free [we are bird watchers ourselves so know how important smooth logistics are]. Private trips are tailored to your needs being as intense or relaxed as you like and we never cut corners, using only top class accommodation and vehicles.
 

 

Nigel S Paltoo
Owner Operator Guyanatours
nspaltoo@yahoo.com

Number of bird species: 779
National Bird
Hoatzin Opisthocomus hoazin

A Field Checklist of the Birds of Guyana

by Michael J. Braun, Davis W. Finch, Mark B. Robbins, & Brian K. Schmidt - Publication 41 of the Biological Diversity of the Guianas Program National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution Washington, DC, US

Birds of Guyana

Balram Singh & Robers Fernandes - 90 pages, col photos, disrtib maps. - Macmillan Caribbean
ISBN: 9780333975572
Buy this book from NHBS.com

Where to Watch Birds in South America

by Nigel Wheatley - 431 pages, b/w illus, maps - Christopher Helm 1994
ISBN: 0713639091
Buy this book from NHBS.com

Tourist Association of Guyana


http://www.geographia.com/guyana/index.html
Guyana, a country of exceptional natural beauty, is a splendid combination of the Caribbean and South America, with fascinating touches of a sometimes turbulent past. Perched on the north-east corner of the South American continent, Guyana stretches 450 miles from its long Atlantic coastline into dense equatorial forest and the broad savannah of the Rupununi.

Environmental Protection Agency

Website

This is the new and reworked EPA website, hopefully you will be able to find very easily what you are looking for. Biodiversity Researchers, check out the Biodiversity Research quick launch on the right...

Iwokrama - International Centre For Rain Forest Conservation And Development

Website

Iwokrama is an autonomous not-for-profit research and development institution established by Guyana and the Commonwealth to demonstrate how tropical forest biodiversity may be conserved and sustainably utilised for ecological, social and economic benefits...

Iwokrama

Website
Satellite View
Avian species richness in the Iwokrama Forest is considerable, with 476 species recorded so far, and an expected total species count of over 600. Iwokrama has relatively high densities of larger frugivorous birds such as cracids, cotingas and parrots as compared to other forested areas in Amazonia...

Rupununi Savannahs

Website
Satellite View
The savannahs are divided north from south, by the Kanuku Mountains, Guyana's most biologically diverse region. According to Conservation International, the area supports a large percentage of Guyana's bio-diversity, including 250 species of bird life, 18 of which are native only to the lowland forests of the Guianas...

2000 [March] - David and Yvette Bree - The Search for the Screaming Piha

Report

This report is a little more wordy and a little less birdy than some, but I wanted to make sure that people had a good idea of the conditions vs. birds, so that you can determine if Guyana is the birding destination for you. Skip to the end if you just want to check out the bird list. If you have any question we would be happy to help...

2009 [February] - David Shackelford

Report

...hat particular day had dawned for us in the mature tropical forest of Iwokrama with us marveling at the maniacal growls of Capuchinbird displaying above our heads followed by a dignified perched Crested Eagle, the absolutely stunning Guianan Cock-of-the rock on the lek, Crested Owl on the day roost, five staggering Crimson Fruit-Crows visible in the scope, and a huge army- ant swarm containing both White-plumed Antbird and crippling views of the sought-after Rufous-winged Ground-Cuckoo...

2010 [December] - Eustace Barnes

Tour Operator

...The trip was organised and very ably led by Eustace Barnes, assisted by Chris Abrams, using Wilderness Explorers www.wilderness-explorers.com as the ground agent throughout. Mostly, the logistics worked very well, which is saying a lot in a country where both infrastructure and transport are problematic...

2010 [November] - David Shackelford

Report

...Almost immediately after stepping out of the vehicle we coaxed into view the near-endemic Blood- colored Woodpecker, followed by a pair of Black-crested Antshrikes, Strait-billed Woodcreeper and a confiding Golden-spangled Piculet. Spotted Tody-Flycatchers were in constant attendance plus several Crimson-crested Woodpeckers, Bicolored Conebill, a responsive Striped Cuckoo, migrant Prothonotary Warbler and Northern Waterthrush, and a nice sighting of the endearing Red-rumped Agouti feeding along the trail...

2011 [March] - Sjef Öllers

Report

The main aim of this holiday was to get an introduction to the wildlife of the Guyanas with, as always, mammals and birds being the main focus. The birding far exceeded my expectations: sightings of purple-­breasted and pompadour cotinga, Guianan red-­cotinga, capuchinbird, Guianan cock-of­the-­rock, purple-­throated and crimson fruitcrow, scarlet ibis and two! harpy eagles were unforgettable. And then I have not yet mentioned White‐winged Potoo, Slaty-­backed Forest-­falcon, hoatzins almost at touching distance, blood-­coloured woodpecker and arrowhead piculet (currently Surinam’s only endemic)...

Birding Pal

Information

Local birders willing to show visiting birders around their area...

Guyana Naturally

Tour Operator

In Guyana more than 800 species of birds from 72 different families have been documented. Plus, there are many more species that remain unidentified. Guyana's coastal capital city, Georgetown, hosts more than 200 of these species from 39 families alone...

Manu Expeditions

Tour Operator

This tour is intended for keen birders who have made several trips to other parts of South America and want to look for the regional specialities, which occur in Guyana. However it is a very suitable trip for less experienced neotropical birders due to the large number of widespread species that can be seen as well as the specialities...

Neblina Forest

Tour Operator

...just over 800 species of birds have been recorded in Guyana, making it an ideal destination for birdwatchers the world over...

Reef & Rainforest

Tour Operator

Little-visited but with a great diverse number of landscapes and wildlife together with a friendly, English-speaking population, unspoilt Guyana is emerging as one of the natural world’s best kept secrets...

Rockjumper Birding Tours

Tour Operator

Guyana is undoubtedly one of South America’s top birding destinations, and our comprehensive tour includes some of Earth’s most unexplored wildernesses. Guianan Cock-of-the-rock, Capuchinbird and Harpy Eagle are just some of the birding highlights, while an extension to Lethem allows us to search for the endangered Sun Parakeet – and much more besides.

Sunrise Birding

Tour Operator

Guyana really does offer something special. A small South American country nestled on the Atlantic Coast east of Venezuela and west of Suriname, it is one of the last unexplored wild places on earth yet offers incredible access into a great variety of pristine habitats...

Wilderness Explorer

Tour Operator

We offer exciting adventures in the wilderness of South America and the Caribbean through a variety of comprehensive itineraries. We are the leading tour operator in Guyana and we offer combination itineraries which include Venezuela, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil and the Caribbean...

Rock View Lodge

Accommodation

This is The Rock View Lodge, nestled between the Amerindian villages of Annai and Rupertee on the North Rupununi Savannahs where the foothills of the Pakaraima mountain range meet the tropical rainforest of Guyana, South America. The Iwokrama International Rainforest Programme Research base camp, the twelve villages of the indigenous Makushi people of the North Rupununi and the Karanambu cattle ranch are all easily accessible from Rock View. We have a Land Rover, a four-wheel drive Bedford Truck, horses, bicycles and boats for your transportation needs and desires...

Timberhead Eco-resort

Accommodation

Located within an Amerindian reservation and reached only by boat, the Timberhead offers an unforgettable vacation experience. You live in the jungle lodges, built by native craftsmen using handcrafted local timber and thatched roofs. Each lodge offers double or twin rooms with all conveniences. An Amerindian family will be your hosts as you relax in the spacious open area with hammocks and window seats affording spectacular views of jungle and savannah...

Biological Diversity of the Guiana Shield

Information

The goal of the Biological Diversity of the Guiana Shield Program (BDG) is to document, understand, and conserve the biological diversity of the Guiana Shield area...

Birding Outback Guyana

Website

This journal started as an occasional letter of my birding activities to my daughter, Jennifer Green, who shares my interests in birds and has now joined me on these trips. It is, of course, an aid to my mind, which is all too eager to discard memories. However, these memories are so pleasant that to lose any part of them would be a shame. It is also for my companions to whom I'll try to get copies. If there are unifying elements in this document it is the birds, the birding, and the wildlife. But the travel through rivers, forests and savanna and the ecology of the tropics was as exciting as the birds and I've tried to comment on those aspects that caught my attention...

Birds of Guyana

Website

The Iwokrama Canopy Walkway is a series of suspension bridges and decks of up to 30 metres in height and 154 metres in length, located in the Iwokrama Forest. It gives visitors a new view of the mid and upper canopy of the forest and allows wildlife to be relatively free from human intrusion which is a great lookout for birds...

Birds of Iwokrama

Website

Avian species richness in the Iwokrama Forest is considerable, with 476 species recorded so far, and an expected total species count of over 600. Iwokrama has relatively high densities of larger frugivorous birds such as cracids, cotingas and parrots as compared to other forested areas in Amazonia...

Guyana Wildlife

Website

Some info and images of the birds...

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